


Jeith/Jaith oneshots

by Keithisgay



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Boys Kissing, Drunken Confessions, Drunken Flirting, M/M, Never Have I Ever, The Pocky Game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:27:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26680621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Keithisgay/pseuds/Keithisgay
Summary: Jeith/Jaith oneshots! Will have some Adashi, Kinkace, Veraxca and a wide array of other VLD ships. Random things that pop into my head, or inspired by things I see.
Relationships: Adam/Shiro (Voltron), James Griffin/Keith (Voltron), Ryan Kinkade/Lance
Kudos: 9





	1. Drunk Jeith

**Author's Note:**

> Come yell at me on Twitter @keithisgay2 and insta @keith_is.gay

Kinkade POV

Me, the other MFES, the paladins, and some other people from the Garrison went out for drinks after completing yet another successful mission. Earth has been free from the Galra for six months, and we've been going back and forth between space in the ATLAS and Earth. "To not dying!" Lance exclaimed, putting his drink in the air. "TO NOT DYING!" We all repeated, drinking. Some of us had shots, some beers, others, like Pidge and Hunk, had sodas. Me, James, Keith, Shiro, Veronica and Rizavi were all seated at the bar, and the others were at the tables behind us. As the night wore on, people got less and less sober. James, Keith, Shiro and Allura decided it'd be a good idea to have a drinking contest, and had each had about 10 shots each. Allura and Shiro were still going strong, but James and Keith were both totally wasted, and Rizavi had her phone out, recording the dumb stuff they said.

"You never realize how loud things are until you're trying to do them quietly." James said, a dazed look on his face. "Right? Training simulator, really easy. But at 3 in the morning, apparently its very loud." James gasped. "That way you? Fucking asshole. I didn't get any sleep that night." "Sleep is for the weak." Keith said. James laid his head on the table and groaned. Then he turned to Keith. "Hey Ryan, do you think Keith knows I like him?" "Wait, what?" Keith stuttered, face turning pink. Then James turned to me. "Ryan, do you think Keith knows I like him?" He asked, starting to pout a bit. "Holy shit." Rizavi wheezed. "He actually said it."

James had been talking about how "annoying" and "stupid" Keith was for the past few months, a lot about his "stupid hair" and "stupid eyes". As far as we could tell, he liked Keith but was just in denial. But now he'd just admitted to liking Keith in front of him, and was drunk while doing so.

"Wait, James likes Keith?" Shiro asked, putting down his last shot. "This is a good thing, isn't it? Keith has taken quite a liking to James since we arrived." Allura commented. "Really?" James asked at the same time Keith grumbled "Shut up." James smiled and poked Keith. "You like me." "No I don't." He said, swatting his hand away. "Yeah you doooo." James said, his familiar cocky grin appearing on his face. "No I don't. If I did like anything about you though, it'd be your eyes. They're really pretty." Keith said. "No, yours are better. They always seem to change color, and they shine when you're happy. Or about to do something stupid. " James then reached a hand up to brush Keith's bangs out of his face. "Your face is really nice too. You shouldn't hide such a pretty thing behind your hair." He cupped Keith's face, the side with the scar, and Keith leaned into the touch. "But it looks funny with the scar." "No it doesn't." James said, brushing over the scar with his thumb. "You look good with it. And in your uniform." "I look good in anything." Keith mumbled. "Damn straight." James agreed, then they both started giggling. "What's so funny?" Shiro asked. "He said the S word!" Keith said with a smile. "What word? Straight?" I asked and they both started laughing. "Yeah, that's the one!" "Uh, how many drinks did Mullet have?" Lance asked, coming over. "Each had 10 shots and a beer." Ina reported. "Only 10? Sissies." Veronica muttered. "Why are they laughing so much?" Lance asked. "James said straight and they both started cracking up, as you say." Allura said, putting down a shot glass.

Keith and James stopped laughing. "Why's everyone over here now?" Keith asked. "Uh, because you two are being uncharecteristically happy right now?" I said. "Yeah, it might be time for us to go back to the Garrison." Shiro said, going into dad mode. "But we don't want to go! Right Jamie?" Keith asked, and James nodded. "Nope. I wanna stay with Keef." Rizavi started laughing, along with Veronica and Lance. "Jamie? Keef? What the hell is happening right now?" Rizavi asked. "Hey! Only I get to call Jamie Jamie!" Keith whined. James gasped. "I get a special nickname? Aw, Keef, you really do like me!" Keith shoved his shoulder. "No I don't. Your pretty eyes and soft hair mean nothing to me anymore." "Keef, don't lie to me. You're not a very good liar." James pouted. "Are you getting all of this?" I whispered to Rizavi, who nodded. "Oh yeah. This is priceless." 

"Guys, we can all go back to the Garrison together, in the rover." Shiro said, coaxing them out of their seats. "I wanna sit next to Jamie." Keith declared, and Shiro nodded. "You can sit next to James." "Yay! Come on Jamie!" Keith said, taking James's hand and pulling him out of the bar. We followed them out, and found them standing next to the rover, holding hands, and staring at the stars. "They're beautiful..." Keith muttered. "But not as beautiful as you." James said, and Keith's face flushed red. "Jamie!" He squealed, putting his face in James's shoulder. "Alright guys, time to get in the car." Shiro said, guiding them into the rover. We all climbed in after them, then began the drive back to the Garrison. James and Keith were whispering to one another with smiles on their faces, still holding hands. When we got to the Garrison they ran inside, fingers intertwined. Lance sighed. "I guess we better go find them before they do something they'll regret." I nodded, and we began our search for the two boys.

Luckily, they weren't in either one of their rooms, and since James's MFE and the Black lion was still here, they weren't there either. We sent the next half hour or so looking for the, before giving up. "Where could they be?" Allura asked, turning on the light to the lounge room. "I have no idea. We'll look for then again later." Shiro promised. "Yeah, but first, coffee." Veronica said, heading over to the machine. "Seriously though, where could they be? We checked their rooms, the hangar, outside, the training room... there isn't any where we haven't looked!" Rizavi said, flopping down on one of the couches, the one opposite to us, so we could see her. Her eyes widened and she smiled. "Guys, look." She whispered, nodding towards the couch. We all quietly stepped to the couch, and let out a collective sigh of relief when we saw it.

There, lying on the couch, cuddling, was Keith and James. Keith was between the couch and James, with arms wrapped around his waist. James was holding Keith close to his chest, one hand craddling his head, and the other wrapped around his shoulders. It was adorable. "Awww." Allura, Shiro and Lance cooed. "I need proof of this or they'll never believe me." Pidge said, pulling out her phone. "This is they gayest thing I've ever seen." Veronica said. "And this is including earlier events." "Its too early for this shit." I said, heading to my room. Let them cuddle.   
It'd be funny in the morning when they had to explain it to each other.


	2. Pockys

No one POV

"Hey James, you wanna play a game?" Ryan asked, and James shrugged. "Sure. What is it?" He said, making his way over to us. "Well, basically all you have to do is hold this." Rizavi said, holding up a strawberry pocky, "in your mouth all day." James took it from me with a confused look on his face. "Can I know why?" Veronica smiled. "You'll figure it out." She said, putting her own chocolate pocky in her mouth. "I don't know, This is James we're talking about. He can be kinda oblivious." Rizavi said. "Hey!" James whined. Ina sighed. "It's very simple. Everyone else knows. Just don't eat the pocky." James sighed. "Fine. But I still don't get it." "Don't worry." Kinkade started, smiling sweetly, "Your crush does." "Shut up." James grumbled. He'd been pining over Keith for the past few months, and only the four other people in the room knew.

We then went about the rest of our day. Apparently, someone had told the paladins and some other people about the game, because several other people had pockys as well. Veronica got pulled aside by a blushing Axca, and Ina got Rizavi. A blushing Allura got Lance, who then returned the favor. Shiro and Adam did the same as well, but then Crutis got Shiro, with a vibrant blush on his face. A cadet by the name of Alexis got Kinkade, and Krolia got a shocked Kolivan. Keith and Lance jokingly did one, with huge grins on their faces, going through almost all of the pocky before breaking away. Pidge didn't even try and get anyone, because according to her it was "A stupid game and a waste of a good treat". Kinkade and Hunk jokingly did one, breaking it an inch apart.

(real quick, for this next bit, Kinkade, Lance and Rizavi are sitting on a couch, James and Pidge are behind them standing, while Keith and Ina are standing opposite to them.)

Later, when the MFES, Lance, Pidge and Keith were in the lounge room, James showed up. "James! Did ya finally figure out how to play the game?" Rizavi asked. "Yeah, I didn't see you at all. Where were you?" Pidge added, and James shrugged. "I was training. And I ate my pocky, so..." "James! Really?" Rizavi screeched. "What? The strawberry ones are really good." "He's right." Lance agreed. "They're one of the best flavors. After blue berry of course." Kinkade had pulled out a pack of strawberry and handed one to James, who gasped. "No way! Strawberry is way better." "I actually agree with Lance on this one. Blueberry is one of the best." Keith said. "Wow. Keith and Lance agreeing on something? They must be pretty good. Do you guys have any more?" Pidge asked, and he shook his head. "What? Pidge, are you trying to get someone?" Keith asked, a smug grin working its way onto his face. "No! I already think the game is stupid. I just want to try one. With everyone else using them, I never got the chance to try one." "Here." Kinkade said, handing her a few strawberries before taking a bite of his own. "And I agree with James. Strawberry is better than blueberry." Lance gasped dramatically. "I can't believe my fellow sharpshooter feels that way! The betrayal!" "Holy shit these things are good." Pidge groaned, devouring her pockys. "They're really that good?" Keith asked sceptically, and she nodded. "Okay, well then I'll have one. Ryan, you got any more?" He shook his head. I gave the last ones to these two." He said, motioning to James and Pidge. "Pidge can-" Keith started, but she shoved them all in her mouth. "Nope. Mine. You can play with James though." She said with a smirk. "He can what?" James asked. Almost all of his pocky was gone, only the dough remained.

Keith's face went light pink. "Pidge.." He said in a warning tone. "What? You wanted to taste the strawberry ones, now's your chance. And you can do something else you've been wanting to do too." She said with a smirk, while Rizavi and Veronica gasped. "Really?" "Wait, what does she mean?" James asked, still completely oblivious to what the pocky game is, and thus having no idea what Pidge is talking about. Keith sighed. "Fine." He marched over to James and grabbed his collar, face pink. "Keith wha- mmph!" He said, Keith shutting him up with his lips. James's eyes went wide at first but they soon closed, and Keith cupped his face pulling him closer. After what seemed like an eternity, Keith pulled away, a sheepish smile on his face. "He's right, the strawberry ones are really good." And with that, he walked out, leaving a shocked James.

He stared after Keith in shock, before a look of realization came upon his face. "Wait, that's the game? And- and Keith-?" He then s[pun on his heel and followed Keith out. "Wow. So the pining was mutual." Ina said. "Oh my god, you guys have no idea." Lance groaned, throwing his head back."

Little did they know, as they talked about their friends pining over each other, James was currently pining Keith to the wall, and they were having a heated make-out session in one of the halls. They broke apart for a second, and Keith smiled. "Mmm, tastes like strawberries." "Shut up." James said, grinning. "Make me." "Gladly." The MFE pilot said, reclaiming the (slightly shorter) Black paladin's lips.


	3. Never Have I Ever

I wrote this at 2 in the morning.

No one POV, all the paldains, MFES, plus Veronica, Shiro, Coran and Romelle are there. They're sitting in a circle around a fire. Ina, then Rizavi, Veronica, Pidge, Hunk, Lance, Allura, Romelle, Coran, Shiro, Keith, James, Kinkade.

"Okay, who want to play a game?" Rizavi asked, depositing the bottles of beer she had on the ground. All of them had gone outside the Garrison, and were having a campout by Keith's house. Kinkade shrugged. "Sure. What we playing?" Her and Pidge smiled evily. "Never Have I Ever" Pidge answered. "Ooh, this I'll be fun!" Lance said, clapping his hands. "What is this game? We didn't have this on Altea." Allura asked. "Well Princess, someone will say "Never have I ever..." Something, like gotten drunk, or did something. If you have done it, you take a drink. IF you haven't, you don't." Shiro explained. "And I'm not sure this is a good idea." "Aww come on Shiro. It's a team bonding exercise." Keith said. "Yeah. And you're always saying how us and the paladins need to work well together and get to know each other. What better way is there?" James said. "Well, I guess it's okay." Shiro said, relenting. "Great." Veronica said. "This will be fun."

Pidge and Rizavi passed around the bottles, and she sighed contently when she sat back down. "Well, since I'm the youngest, I'll go first. Never have I ever.........." She started, tapping her chin. "Gotten a ticket or arrested." Keith death stared her and took a drink while Shiro smiled. "That's what you get for stealing my car." "Joke on you, I also took some of your money. And now it's my turn. Never have I ever..... died." Keith said with a smirk. Shiro and Lance both drunk. "Wait, you died?" Veronica asked, and Lance smiled sheepishly. "Well, yeah." "When?" Keith asked. "You were with the Blades. I took a hit for Lura, but she brought me back. Point is, I'm currently alive." "For now." Pidge muttered, causing Lance to glare at her. "Ok, um, my turn. Never have I ever.... uh, oh, never have I ever wanted a lion that wasn't mine." hunk said, and Lance drank, along with Allura. "Now you guys are targeting me." He whined. "Okay, my turn. Never have I ever.... gotten engaged." He said, smiling while Shiro drank. "You're an ass. And since we're going there, never have I ever had a crush on Allura." Shiro said with a smirk. "Shiro you wound me! I'm being targeted!" Lance said dramatically, before drinking. "Okay, since you guys are targeting each other, I'm going to do the same." Ina said. "Never have I ever shot my friend in target practice." Kinkade glared at her as he took a sip, along with Lance and Hunk. Keith laughed. "You shot your friend? Who?" "Me." James answered. "Right in the shoulder. But I got him back." "You stole my hair gel and filled it with clear glue!" Kinkade complained, and the others laughed. "Yes, but that didn't involve stitches." James said while smirking.

"Fine." Kinkade huffed. "Never have I ever had a gay crush." He said, staring at James, who just smiled brightly and drank, along with Keith, Shiro and Coran. Romelle gasped. "Coran! Who was it?" Coran shook his head and smiled softly. "Someone long gone little one. But he was very kind." "What about you James? Apparently you like someone. And I never knew you were into boys." Veronica asked. He just smiled at her. "Well, with a war going on, it wasn't relevant. And as for who I like, that is for me to know, and you to hopefully never find out." She sighed and rolled her eyes. "What about you Keith? Who is it?" Rizavi asked. "Not telling." He responded.

No one bothered asking Shiro who it was, since they all knew it was Adam. Originally he was going to come with them, but decided against it once he learned they were sleeping outside. He was in the house, with the AC and TV. "And because of that, I will go next. Never have I ever liked one of my best friends and not asked them out." James said, looking at Rizavi and Ina pointedly. They both silently sipped, along with Allura, Lance and Shiro. "Aww!" Romelle cooed. "You like each other! Like Lura and pointy chin!" "You aren't dating?" Pidge asked, and they shook their heads, both blushing brightly. "Honestly, I'm just as surprised as you are." Keith said. "You two totally give me couple vibes." The others all voiced their agreement. "Well we obviously all thought they were together, and apparently they want to be. Can we continue with the game?" Allura asked. "I have one." "Well then by all means Princess, go ahead." Kinkade said. "Brilliant! Well then, never have I ever attempted to murder someone whom I care about!" She said, perhaps too eagerly. Shiro groaned and took a drink, along with Keith. "That was a low blow Princess. And evil clones shouldn't count." Keith protested. "It's okay, I have an idea for the next one." Hunk said, before earning over to whisper something in his ear. Keith smiled, and looked around mischeviously. "Never have I ever gotten drunk off Nunvill." "Not nice number three. not nice at all." Coran said before drinking. Allura, Romelle, Shiro and Lance also drank. "What's Nunvill?" James asked. "It's like an Altean wine, but it's super potent." Pidge answered. "It can even be used to jump start our lions."

"Oh! I have one! Never have I ever gone to classes at the Garrison!" Romelle said, causing almost everyone to groan. "That, is cheating." Pidge complained. "Can we make super obvious things off limits?" Ina asked, and Veronica shook her head. "Afraid not. That's not how it works. But, if we're going there, never have I ever been alien." The Alteans glared at her, and each took a drink, Keith sipping his as well. "All is fair in love and war." Hunk said with a shrug. "All right then, never have I ever had a crush on a Balmeran!" Coran shot, causing Hunk to blush and take a sip. "Right. What ever did happen to Shay?" Keith asked. "Is she the one that kept coming to the hospital? With the big hoop things?" James asked. "Yeah, that's the one." Lance said. "We met her our first, what, month? In space." "How do you know she visited me?" Hunk asked, and James shrugged. "We checked on you guys a lot. And it's very hard not to notice someone who has a at least a foot on everyone." "No, that was the Kolivan guy." Rizavi interjected. "I swear, he looked just about ready to kill anyone who went near Keith. And there were a bunch of people in these uniforms outside your door. It was like you had your own security detail." Kinkade laughed. "I know right? When James brought you flowers, he death stared him for about five minutes before that lady finally told him to back off." Keith smiled. "Yeah, that sounds like Kolivan. I'm the littlest Blade, and they're all super protective. And that lady is my mom." "Really? That's great." Ina said. "I know." Keith said, still smiling. "And James, you brought me flowers?" James shrugged and smiled. "Yeah. Purple lilies. Shiro said they were your favorite. The others brought flowers too." "Yeah, they each kind of became responsible for the paladin they rescued." Shiro said with a smile. "James had Keith, Ryan Lance, Ina Pidge, Rizavi Hunk." "But James, James took his role very seriously. He was there every day, always asking about you. Making sure you weren't doing anything stupid." Kinkade said. "Which means he had to stop him from being himself." Lance said light heartedly. "Yeah, what was it he said? I don't want to see the universes only hope getting hurt." Hunk added. "To be fair, you guys were. Well, at least before we learned that the ATLAS could turn into an even bigger magic robot warrior." Veronica said.

"Well, are we playing a game, or are we having an actual conversation?" Romelle asked. "Because I'm getting mixed signals." "Oh, we're playing the game." Rizavi insisted. "We were just delveing further into one of the statements in order to better understand them." Ina added. "Alright, then I have one. Never have I ever gone against orders to save someone." Kinkade said. All of the paladins and James drank. "Really? James Griffin, Garrison's new golden boy, disobeying orders? Who are you, and what have you done with James?" Keith asked jokingly. "He had us fly out and get you guys. He literally ordered us to go get you guys, along with Shiro." Rizavi commented. "Can confirm." Shiro said with a nod. "Wow, you really do have a heart." Lance said mockingly, causing James to roll his eyes. "Yeah, I do, I just don't wear it on my sleeve. Anyway, never ever have I ever... hmm..... gotten chained to a tree by an alien girl who stole my lion." Lance glared at him as he drank. "Who told you? I demand to know. Keith, was it you?" He asked accusingly, and he shook his head. "Pidge? Shiro? Lura? Hunk?" He asked, and they all shook their heads. "You seem to forget that she's actually on Earth." Coran said, shaking his head. "Her and the rebels are here my boy. They've been sharing stories."

"Fine. Never have I ever had a crush on anyone here." Lance said. "Lance, you just made yourself have to drink." Pidge said with an eyeroll. "Oh. Right. Oh well." Lance said with a shrug. Him, Allura, Ina and Rizavi drank, and only Kinkade saw Keith and James take quick sips as well. he glanced at Pidge, who smiled knowingly. She had figured it out. "Well, my turn. Hmm. Never have I ever thought about kissing someone here." He said. Again, the same group of people drank. "Never have I ever wanted to take someone here on a date." Pidge said, watching with amusement as the same people drank. "Never have I ever liked someone who I went to the Garrison with." Veronica said, catching on. Keith, James, Rizavi, Ina and Shiro drank, each with a little smile. "Never have I ever liked a paladin of Voltron." Rizavi said. Lance, Allura and James drank. "Never have I ever liked boy from Voltron." Romelle said, smiling. She too had caught on to the silent plan, and watched James and Allura drink. "Never have I ever had a crush on Keith Kogane." Kinkade said. James smiled widely before drinking the rest of his beer. Keith stared at him, open mouthedly, blushing a bit. "Never have I ever had a crush on James Griffin." Shiro continued, and Keith drank sheepishly. Rizavi grabbed another bottle for each of them and opened it. "Never have I ever wanted to go on a date with James." He said, and Keith drank. "Never have I ever wanted to kiss Keith." Keith muttered, and James drank. "Never have I ever kissed James." Said boy muttered, slowly leaning in. Keith smiled and grabbed his collar, yanking him forward and kissing James on the lips. He pulled away and took a quick sip, cheeks a fiery red. Then he got up and sprinted towards the house. After a moment, James got up and ran after him.

The others looked at their retreating figures in shock. A mutual confession was what they had expected. Not a fucking kiss. "What just happened?" Lance asked, and Pidge sighed. "They just confessed and kissed Lance." "Honestly, how dense can you get?" Veronica asked. "ME? Dense? you're the on who doesn't register that Axca is flirting with you!" Lance exclaimed. "I know she is!" Veronica hissed. "I just don't know what to do!" Kinkade sighed. "You react or say something back. Honestly, you're almost as bad as James. At least he finally told his crush." "Oh, Veronica told her. Axca said so. But she's still trying to figure out human courting customs, so she hasn't done anything yet." Romelle revealed. "She what?" Veronica screeched.

"Can someone please tell me why I hear screeching all the way in the house? And why James and Keith are making out?" Adam asked, walking over and sitting next to Shiro. "They're what?" Pidge asked, her and Kinkade looking at Adam in shock. "They're in the hall sucking face. Did James finally tell him?"

The rest of the night was spent talking about everyone's love life, or lack thereof. Keith and James ended up spening the night together on the roof, looking at the stars and occasionally stopping to make out. Lance and Allura fell asleep next to the fire all cuddled up, and Adam fell asleep in Shiros's lap. Veronica got advice about her relationship with Axca, and hunk got Pidge to help him plan a surprise for Shay. In the end, they all got their happy ending, and ended up with the right person. Kisses and rainbows for (almost) everyone


	4. I Don't Like Him I Love Him

Ryan Kinkade POV

"I swear, James and Keith are fucking gay for each other." I told Rizavi and Veronica. "Right? The look they gave each other." Veronica said, shaking her head and letting out a low whistle. "That's some serious sexual tension." "What tension?" James asked, walking in. "Oh, just the sexual tension between you and Keith." Rizavi answered nonchalantly. James rolled his eyes. "There is no tension, and definitely nothing sexual." "Mmhm, sure." Veronica mused. "I'm serious! There's nothing there!" James insisted. "We believe you bro. But other people.... they might not." "Why?" He huffed, sitting next to me on the couch. "Because of the look you guys gave each other." Rizavi answered. "No one looks at their old classmate who they haven't seen in five years like that." "And who decked them." I added. "Guys, seriously, there's nothing there. I just knew him before he left. We were friends." James insisted. "Alright, alright, we'll take your word for it." I said, relenting.

But as time wore on, that statement seemed less and less true.

James broke the rules for the first time ever, just to help Keith and Hunk so Hunk could see his parents. According to Veronica, his exact words were "I don't want to see Earth's only hope get hurt." If that doesn't say he cares, I don't know what does.

The looks continued, some being somewhat longing, other like death stares, some a mx of too many emotions to tell.

They even apologized for being dicks to each other when they were kids. And it was totally out of the blue too. 

We were sparring in the training room, paladins vs. MFES plus Veronica. While I was in an intense fist fight with Lance, Keith and James were having a shoving match, each with their hands on the others shoulder, trying to move the other. "Come on Griffin, is that the best you got?" Keith goaded, gaining some ground. "No way Kogane." He grumbled, pushing off of him and taking a swing. Keith dodged it and tried to right hook him, which James blocked. "Hey, I'm sorry." He said, going for another punch. "For what?" Keith asked, kicking at him. "Being a dick." He answered, side-stepping him. "When we were kids?" Keith asked, blocking a punch. "Yeah." James huffed, doing a kick combo. "I shouldn't have treated you like that." "I wasn't much better." Keith said, kicking at his legs. "Yeah, but I feel bad." James said as he jumped over his leg. "Its okay. We're cool now." He said, barley avoiding a sucker punch. "Oh, good." James said, getting hit with an uppercut to the ribs. "So what, are we friends now?" He asked, kicking Keith in the stomach. "Yeah, why not?" Keith said, stepping back and catching his breath. "We were before." "That-that's great." James huffed, leaning forward on his knees. "So we're good? No hard feelings?" "No hard feelings." Keith assured. "Good, good." James said, standing and stretching. 

Then Keith tackled him around the midsection, knocking him to the ground. "Fuck. You asshole." James grumbled, clutching his stomach as Keith rolled off of him. "Serves you right. That kick hurt." "So did your punch." James retorted, turning his head to look at him. They stared at each other for a minute, breathing heavily, before bursting out laughing as the rest of us stared at their weird exchange. "Ahh, just like old times, eh?" James laughed. "Punching and knocking each other down? Damn straight." Keith said with a smile. "But neither of us are." James said, which sent them both into another fit of laughter. "Ahh! My face hurts!" Keith groaned lightheartedly, covering his face with his hands. "Why do my cheeks hurt so much?" "Because you're smiling you idiot." James said breathlessly. "You should do it more often." "Really?" Keith asked, dropping his hands and turning to look at James again. "Yeah. Makes you look good." James said, meeting his eyes. "For real?" He asked, and James nodded. "Thanks man." Keith said, looking at the ceiling again. "No problem." "Your smile is pretty nice too. But your hair's better. Looks super soft." Keith said, teaching out and running a hand through it. "It IS really soft." He muttered, continuing to mess with it.

"If we're talking about what's nice about each other, I gotta mention your eyes." James said. "They're like, never the same color, and sometimes they shine. Like when you smile." "Bro, yours are way better. I can't even tell what fucking color they are. Sometimes they're blue, then gray, blueish gray, and sometimes even purple, and it make NO FUCKING SENSE." Keith said, exaggerating the last part. James laughed. "Honestly, I have no idea either. Drives me crazy." "Along with half the Garrison. I've seen the way some of these people look at you." Keith commented. "Its way worse for you. The girls say people are calling you "A fucking snack" and stuff." James said, using air quotes. "I don't even think people know you're gay. Half the girls are making heart eyes at you or Lance." Keith laughed. "And the rest are staring at you and Ryan. Do people really not know I'm gay?" James shook his head. "Nope." He said, popping the "P". "Then I need a flag. A big rainbow one to hang from Black." Keith decided, taking his hand out of his hair,putting them up and spreading them like he was touching a flag. "Yeah, we could do a Pride parade." James joked. "Tie flags to our ships or shoulders and walk around like that all day. I bet Iverson would love that." "Screw Iverson." Keith huffed. "I'll do it anyway." "I don't think he swings that way." James answered with a laugh. "But I'll join you. Break some hearts, telling everyone that we're gay. We could get Adam and Shiro to do it too. People still think they're just real good friends." 

This made us all laugh. People thinking either of the Black Paladins were straight? Impossible. "Are you two okay?" Pidge asked, a look of concern on her face. "Yeah. Why wouldn't we be?" James asked, looking up at her. "Because you and Keith are being nice to each other, and have been lying on the floor for five minutes." Veronica answered. "What's wrong with us being nice to each other?" Keith asked. "Don't you hate each other?" Lance asked. "You keep giving each other weird looks all the time." James shook his head. "Nah, we're friends. I just screwed up around Kerberos time. Thought I lost this idiot when you guys disappeared." He said, poking Keith's head, who swatted his hand. "Come on Griffin, you know it takes more than that to get rid of me," "Yeah, cause you're a stubborn asshole." He answered, sitting up. "My stubborn ass survived three years in space, thank you very much." Keith said, mirroring James. "I'll give you that, but otherwise, you're a stubborn ass." James said, standing and reaching a hand out to Keith, helping him stand up. "Hey, you're an ass too." "Yes, but I'm much more polite about it. I'm a silent asshole, while you just blurt out whatever comes to your mind." "That's total bullshit and you know it." Keith said as they began to walk away. "Okay, maybe a little bit. But I don't do nearly as many stupid things." "Oh, I do stupid things? Who was it who though putting glitter in cookies would work?" "I was 8! And it did work! They just tasted like shit afterwards." They said, walking out together.

"I ship them so hard!" Shiro squealed. "YES!" Ina said. "Did they date? Tell me they dated." She pleaded. "No, Keith has literally never had a romantic relationship. And knowing him, he wouldn't even realize he likes James." Shiro said, shaking his head. "But Mullet is just real fucking dense." Lance said. "And James is oblivious." I added. "10 bucks they confess in a month." Pidge blurted. "Uh uh, 15 by before the end of the war." Hunk asserted. "20 they don't even realize until everyone thinks they're dating." Veronica said. "No, they know they care about each other. They just won't realize just how much until one or both of them almost dies. Then they'll confess." Lance said. "I agree with Lonce." Allura said. "Nah, I'm with Ronny on this one." Riazvi said. "Just trust Lance." Shiro assured. "He knows about this stuff." "Sure he does. We'll see what he's saying when he owes me 20 bucks." Veronica said. "Hey, I'm going to be right! Just you watch!" Lance insisted.

That night, Keith joined us for dinner, but he only talked to James They spoke animatedly, waving around their arms and smiling a lot. They jokingly stole each other's food, and just generally messed around. They both seemed so at ease and care-free. You wouldn't think that we were currently fighting a war with an advanced alien race. And as time went on, they spent more and more time together. They ate together at meals, with a table all to themselves. They trained together, and sat together at meetings. And if they weren't able to verbally talk, they texted, or had silent conversations with their eyes and small body movements. They played with Kosmo, and constantly smiled around each other, and looked at the other like no one else in the world mattered. A month passed, and Pidge lost her bet. Meanwhile, it was becoming more and more clear that Keith and James saw each other as more than friends.

One night, James came in particularly late, with a huge grin on his face. "And where were you?" I asked, putting down my tablet. "Me and Keith were racing the hover bikes." he answered, throwing his jacket on his desk, then flopping down on his bed. "I'm so fucking tired. We raced at went at it at least a dozen times. He almost fell asleep on the ride back." I stifled a laugh. "Really?" "Yeah. And he laughed so hard when he realized what he had done. His eyes did the shiny thing." I sighed. There it was again. James was obviously crushing on Keith, but had no idea. "James?" I asked. "Hmm?" He hummed, picking up his head. "Do you like Keith?" "Well, yeah. He's one of my best friends." He answered, sitting up, "No, I mean, LIKE like him. Ad more than a friend." James stared at me for a minute, processing what I had said. Then he smiled softly. "Ryan, I don't like Keith." I resisted the urge to scream "YES YOU DO!" "Okay. Well, alright. Goodnight." I said, shutting off the lights. "Goodnight." He mumbled, his voice muffled by the pillow.

When I told the others about it later, they groaned. "Why won't they just admit to liking each other already?" Rizavi asked. "Perhaps they fear it's one sided." Allura suggested. "No, they're just in denial." Pidge said. " I don't know, it looks like Lance is going to be right." Hunk said. "Look at them." Lance said, motioning to the two, They were deep in a conversation, angry seeming looks on their faces. Kosomo was looking back and forth between them with a confused expression. "What are they arguing about?" Shiro asked. "They're debating who won the most races yesterday." Ina answered. We all let out a collective sigh. "This is going to take forever." I said, and they all voiced their agreement.

And take forever it did. Neither confessed or started treating the other differently, but the same looks were exchanged, now all charged with affection and love. When Honerva and her beast attacked, and they incapacitated Voltron, I'd never seen /James look so afraid. He panicked and ran back to the hangar we had just left, shouting at us to take off and get to the lions. "Hurry the fuck up guys! Ryan, get Lance! Rizavi Hunk, Ina Pidge, ATLAS get Allura, I'll get Keith." HE barked, When we stopped and stared at him he frowned. "What are you waiting for? Let's go!" We all scrambled into out MFES, rushing to get to our assigned paladin and bring them back to the Garrison. We could get the lions later. Right now, they all needed medical treatment. I ran in with Lance, and saw that Ina and Rizavi were already there. Some nurses rushed to me and took Lance away on a stretcher, already checking him out. "Where's James?" I asked, looking around frantically. 

Then he burst in the door, cradling an unconscious Keith in his arms. "Fuck. Come on Kogane, stay with me." He muttered. More hospital staff rushed to him, taking Keith. "Be careful, his head is bleeding." He said, and they nodded, rushing his off. Then James collapsed into one of the chairs, staring at his bloodstained hands. "Hey Ryan." He said quietly. "Remember that question you asked me? About liking Keith?" I nodded. "Yeah, why?" "Because I told you I didn't like him. That's because I love him. I told him when I found him." He said softly, face cracking. "Oh James..." I said, sitting next to him and wrapping my arms around him. Tears started falling down his face, and he cried into my shoulder while me and the girls comforted him.

We stayed there for hours, in which the rest of the McClains, Mr. & Mrs. Holt, Shiro, Adam and the Tyoshi's showed up. A doctor come out, in clean white scrubs. "Well, I have good news. The paladins are all stabilized, and should all pull through." A collective sigh of relief went through out the room, followed by whispers of hope. "But they'll need to stay here for the next week or so. The Black paladin was in the worst state, but he'll be alright. He'll probably stay longer than the others, but it's just a precaution. You can go see them now, but be careful. They're still very fragile" She warned. All the families stood and immediately headed to their rooms, while me and the other MFES hung back. James covered the bottom half of his face with his hands, and was staring at the ceiling. just when I was about to approach him, Shiro popped his head in. "James, Keith wants to see you." He said. James dropped his hands and nodded, following him.

He visited Keith a lot when he was in the hospital. Bringing him flowers, checking on Kosmo. He even met his mom, Krolia, and his kind of stepfather Kolivan. I checked in on him a few times, and he was always smiling at Keith. Even though he was asleep, he was alive. And that made James happy.

When Keith woke up, everyone knew. One, because he immediately, and without warning, jumped back into action when we were on a joint mission with Voltron. And two, because he landed Black near the MFES and marched over to a both happy and worried James, a determined look on his face. He then grabbed his collar and pulled him into a kiss, which James eagerly returned. Keith threaded one hand through James's hair and wrapped the other around his neck while James cupped his face and held his waist, with Ina, Rizavi, Allura, Hunk and Shiro fangirled in the background, the rest of us just smiling silently. They broke away, both smiling and with pink faces. "I love you too." Keith said, and James's face flushed and even darker shade of pink. "You heard me?" "Yeah. And you thought I was stupid, telling me when I was almost dying." "But you heard me didn't you?" James asked, smile on his face. Keith rolled his eyes. "Just shut up and kiss me." He demanded. "With pleasure." James mused before pulling him in again.

"Well, you all owe me 20 bucks!" Lance announced, a proud look on his face. We all rolled our eyes and laughed, since none of us had any intention of paying him. "What? What's so funny?" He asked, causing us to laugh more. Meanwhile, our two friends were together and alive, having finally confessed their feeling for one another.


	5. Rut

Keith POV   
"Where is Lieutenant Griffin?" Iverson asked. "The meeting was supposed to start 10 minutes ago." He snapped. I sighed. Alphas. So impatient. "Maybe he slept late." I suggested, petting Kosmo's head. James was supposed to sit at the head of the table with me, but since he wasn't there, Kosmo sat in his spot. "I don't know. He's normally very punctual." Ryan pointed out. "Keith, can't you just send Kosmo to go get him?" Lance asked, turning to me. "Yeah. Then we can get this over with. Do it." Pidge said, crossing her arms. For a beta, she was very bossy. I shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. Go get him boy." I muttered, patting Kosmo. He barked lightly then poofed, teleporting away.   
But the Shiro and Veronica came in, worried looks in their faces. "Sorry we're late. Um, James is-" She was cut off when Kosmo appeared again, bringing a new scent with him.

It was woody, mixed with something sweet. James was also there, shirtless for some reason, only in black sport shorts, with a VERY obvious boner. His face was twisted in an almost snarl, and he had sweat on his forehead. "Fuck." He growled, eyes opening. His normally calm, blue-gray eyes were clouded with lust and pain. "James? What's-" Ryan started. "I'm in my fucking rut dipshit. The dog brought me here." He said, glaring at his friend. "That's what we were trying to tell you." Shiro said. "He's gonna be out for the next two days cause of it." "Two days?" Lance asked incredulously. "Ruts are normally a week." "Yeah well mine isn't. Which makes the few days I do have it especially hard." James growled. "Well then we should take you back to your room." I started, reaching for him. "Keith, don't." He said lowly. "But you need help." I started, grabbing his arm. But he pulled away from me and snarled. "LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE KEITH! I DON'T WANT TO HURT YOU!" He yelled, using his alpha voice.   
I stopped, unable to move. It was times like this when I really hated being an omega. His teeth were bared, and his canines has gotten longer, almost like fangs.   
It was kinda hot. But James was always kinda hot.  
His eyes widened and he dropped his head in his hands. "Fuck. I'm sorry. I- ungh- fuck. Keith, you need to get away from me. I don't know if I'll be able to stop myself." He warned. "Control yourself Griffin." Iverson warned. "Commander, I think we need to get him out if here." Shrio said, reaching for James. Lucky for him, he was an alpha, so the scent didn't affect him in that way. "Yeah, you do that." Lance said, pulling me away from James. "We don't want him jumping Keith." "Damn Lance, didn't know you thought so little of me." James said, leaning on Shiro. Then he wrinkled his nose. "You guys smell bad. Like shit." "It's your rut James. We need to get you out of here." Shiro said, leading him out, Veronica following.

"Um, is he going to be okay?" Hunk asked, voice full of concern. "Yeah. But ruts are always hard on him. Specially since he's never spent it with someone." Nadia said. "But he's been taking suppresants these past few years." Ina added. "Why'd he stop?" Iverson asked. "We can't have our best pilot out of commission every month, even if it is for only three days." "He stopped because others needed them." Ina said. "But he'll be fine as long as Keith goes nowhere near him." "Why me?" I asked. "You and Veronica are omegas too. Why wouldn't he jump you?" "Because one, James is gay-" Ryan started. "-two, he has a huge crush on you, and three, we calm him and he has lots of self control." "James is gay?" Lance asked. "James likes me?" I asked. "Yeah. It's obvious." Pidge said. "He's been staring at you the whole time we've been back." "Hey, looks like it wasn't one sided." Hunk said, nudging my arm playfully. I felt my face heat and I knew I was blushing. "Well then maybe he can help Griffin." Iverson suggested. "No! The scent would mess his mind up! Make him agree to things he doesn't want!" Lance protested. "Well can he at least be near him? It'll calm him." Ina said. "Or maybe something of his. Like a shirt or something." "I could give him my jacket." I suggested, and Nadia clapped and pointed at me. "Yes! You're always wearing that, it'll smell just like you!" 

"What'll smell like who?" Shiro asked, coming back in. "Keith's jacket will smell like him. It might calm James down." Ryan reported. "That's a good idea. But who'll take it to him? Cause his scents getting stronger." Veronica said. "I will." I declared, standing up. "Keith, that's not a good idea. His scent will get to you." Lance said grabbing my arm. "Not if we give him some scent blockers. It'll clog your nose, make you unable to smell for a few days." Pidge said, putting a hand on her chin. "Then it's decided. Kogane will take Griffin the jacket, and we'll keep him locked in his room for the next two days. Problem solved." Iverson said, standing. "Now get to it."

Pidge took me to the lab and gave me the blockers, along with a handful of condoms. "Pidge." I hissed, hiding them. "What? You never know what might happen." I glared at her but took them, shoving them inside the jacket. 

I then headed to James's room, opening the door. He was lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling, thankfully still in his boxers. "Who's it?" He asked. "Keith. I brought you my jacket. The girls said it might calm you." I said, extending my hand out. He looked up at me and groaned a bit, letting his head fall on the pillow. "Of course they told you. When I'm in rut and can't kill them. That's when they decide to tell you I like you." "So it's true?" I asked, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Keith, back away." He warned, eyeing me. "But I like you too." I said. "If you get any closer I might not be able to control myself." He warned. "James, you'll be fine." I said, rolling my eyes a bit. "No I fucking won't. Keith, I want to fuck you so bad right now, but I can't. And if you get closer, I might just do it. I want to fuck you until you can't walk. Into the bedsheets and hear you screaming my name." He admitted, sitting up, face pink and a little sweaty. "And I know if you stay here any longer, I won't be able to restrain myself. So please, for your safety, go." He pleaded, eyes soft. I sighed but stood. "Alright, I'll go." 

I was almost to the door when I felt a hand on my wrist, pulling me back. I turned to see James, face pink and eyes shining, staring down at me. He cupped my face softly, eyes flickering between my own and my lips. "Just, tell me when to stop, okay?" He muttered before pulling me into a kiss. And HOLY FUCKING SHIT IT WAS PERFECT. He was soft yet demanding, but careful as well. He pulled back, eyes scanning my face. "Oh shit. Fuck, I shouldn't have done that." He muttered, backing away and sitting on the edge of the bed. I sighed and started pulling off my gloves, then my shirt and shoes. I walked over to him and moved his hands from his face, sitting in his lap. His eyes widened and he looked me up and down. "Keith... are you sure" He asked, eyeing me hungrily. "Yes. I want this." I muttered, leaning in for a kiss. My hands found their way into his hair and his to my waist. He was already hard, his errection pressing against me, only the fabric of his boxers seperating it from me. I ended up on my back, pants and boxers gone, along with his. I was leaking slick, and James was looking me up and down appreciatevly. "God you're beautiful." Me muttered, leaning to kiss down my neck. I shivered at the touch. "Just shut up and fuck me." He removed his lips from my neck and smiled down at me, positioning himself between my legs. "Gladly."

Time skip cause I don't do smut and you know what happens

A few hours later, maybe even a day, I heard the door open and someone gasp. "Keith, are you alright?" They asked. I looked up to see Lance, Shiro and Ryan at the door, looks of concern on their faces. James was asleep behind me, face nuzzled into my neck, arms around me and chest against my back. "Did he.." Shiro trailed off, letting the question hang in the air. "No. I let him." I said, glancing at him. He was stirring a bit, the new scents no doubt bothering him. "There's no way you consented to this." Lance growled. "Come on, we're going." He said stepping forward and reaching for me. "Mine." James growled, eyes opening. They were, for the moment, back to their normal blue-gray color, and he clung to me possesively. "Keith, lets go." Lance said, grabbing my arm. James growled, the sound rumbling in his chest. "Mine." He repeated, glaring at Lance, daring him to challenge him. "Yours." I muttered, turning and kissing his forehead. 

When I turned my head, they apparently got a good look at the bite on my neck, signaling that I had been claimed. Shiro gasped and Ryan looked us up and down, probably just now seeing the multiple love bites, hickeys and bites on both of our bodies, along with the bite on James's neck. His eyes widened. "Oh. OH. OH!" He exclaimed, hands going to his head "OH!" "What?" Lance asked, still not seeing it. Then he looked us over and his eyes widened. "OH. OHOHO! Keith, you sly dog." He said, a smile working it's way onto his face. "Out." James demanded. "Alright alright, we're going." Ryan said, stepping back. "Come on guys, let's go." They left the room and James smiled, kissing me on the cheek. 

I turned so I was on my side, shoulder to his chest. Then I felt something on my hip and smiled. "Again?" "I can't help it. You're too beautiful." he said, placing a quick kiss on my lips. "Mmm, fine. But after I expect cuddles." I said with fake seriousness. "Of course. And when this is done, maybe we can go out? On a date?" He suggested, already getting between my legs. "I'd like that." I murmmered before he kissed me. "Good." He said into the kiss. He pushed his tongue into my mouth and I felt something else enter me too. I smiled and got ready for the next round.

Pidge POV

Lance, Shiro and Ryan came back, each with weird looks on their faces. "What happened? Did you find Keith?" Hunk asked. "Um yeah. *cough* we found him." Shiro said. "Well where was he?" I asked. "Getting his ass plowed and claiming James." Ryan deadpanned. "Wait, really?" Nadia asked in disbelief. Lance nodded. "Yeah. Did not expect to see that." "10 bucks this rut lasts longer than 2 days." Veronica says, smirk on her face. "It better not. We need our best pilots available. We're still in a war." Iverson reminded. "Don't worry Commander, I'm sure they'll be back by tomorrow. But let's get FAR away from that topic. There's still stuff we can do here." Shiro said, sitting down. "Right. Let's get down to business." Iverson said, pulling up some maps on the holo screen. "Here's what we're going to do..."


	6. Nobody Hears Him When He Cries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angsty James Griffin thing

James's cries have always fallen on deaf ears. They've been ignored or forgotten. Why would this time be any different?

The first time he remembered was when he was very young. 2 or 3. He'd had a nightmare, and woken up screaming and crying for his parents. But neither of them came. He heard no footsteps rushing to him, no whispered voices of concern. He got no comforting hug, kisses to his head, whispers of "It's all right."

The second time was when he was 5. First day of school. And James was terrified. He didn't normally spend time around other kids, and he didn't like strangers. He didn't want to let go of his mother's hand. But she had pulled away, setting him on the steps of the school early in the morning, the sun still rising. He had cried on the steps, begging her to come back. His tears had dried by the time the custodian showed up, leading him inside.

Again when he was 8. Begging for his mom not to go. For her to stay. To stop packing her bag and stay with him. To hold him, comfort him while he cried, for her to stay. But she just smiled at him sadly, taking her bag out of her room and out to the car. He pleaded with her not to leave, banging on the car windows, his little hands leaving fingerprints on the windows, He cred as she pulled out, following her to the edge of the driveway, not going in the street, cause she said it was dangerous. He screamed and cried for her to come back, watching the car disappear down the street. He'd stayed in the driveway all night, waiting for her to come back. For her to return and pull him into her arms like she did when he was little. To tell him she was just going away real quick. That she was going to stay. That'd she'd never leave him, never leaved her Jamie.

But she never did.

The next time when he was 10. Two years since mom left. Dad always got sad, and he drank a lot. Last year, he'd blamed himself. Saying if he had been a better husband, been around more, maybe she would've stayed. But this year, he blamed James. Saying if he had been a better son, done more, she'd still be here. Mom wouldn't have left. He got mad, and started throwing the bottles at him, some empty and some not. James pleaded for him to stop, tears falling when a bottle hit his back, shattering and cutting his back. Then dad passed out, and James cried. He cried as he picked up the pieces of broken glass, cutting his palm and fingertips. As he put alchohal on the cuts.

When he was 13, he got into the Garrison. Dad was so proud, he actually smiled. They went out to eat, and got ice cream. When they got home, James went to his room to call his friend Alex and tell him the good news. Both of them had applied, and he knew he'd be over joyed when he found out James got in. But he wasn't. Alex had screamed at him, saying he'd taken his spot. That he was a terrible friend, that he hated him. That he and Keith could have each other, he didn't care. That he was worthless to him. That he didn't care, and to lose his number. James tried to tell him that he hadn't meant to, that he was sorry he didn't make it, but he ignored him. James felt the red hot tears fall down his face, streaking downward. He went to the living room, hoping to talk to dad about it. He'd gotten much better than 3 years ago. He didn't drink, and he started becoming more involved in James's life. He'd met Alex a few times, and seemed to like him. But his dad was asleep, TV playing in the background. James would get no soothing words or comforting hugs today.

The next time, it wasn't him who cried. The Kerberos crew had been announced dead, and he'd seen what it did to Keith, and his favorite teacher, Mr.W. Sure, he and Keith didn't always get along, but he still felt bad for him. He went to Mr.W's room after class, to see if he was okay. He found him sitting at his desk, head in his hands, body shaking with sobs. He'd approached him silently, before putting a hand on his shoulder. Mr.W had looked up at him, tears in his eyes. He tried to say something, but James stopped him and went to go find Keith. He led him to MR.W, and they rushed to each other, holding the other close. James had smiled to himself, watching from the door. Mr.W's cries wouldn't go unheard, and neither would Keith's. He made sure of that.

Next, it was him who cried, at 17. Keith had gotten himself kicked out, and he was sad to see him go. They'd become good friends, growing closer over the past ear. He asked him to stay, try and talk to Iverson, work things out But Keith had shook him off, saying what's done was done. When he tried to hug him goodbye, Keith shoved him away, a look of anger on his face. Told him to fuck off, that he didn't want to stay. He had the number of everyone he wanted to talk to, and he didn't need James to look after him. He didn't want his pity, and he certainly didn't want to be his friend. After that, James let him go. It wasn't until later that James realized Keith didn't have his number, so he didn't want to talk to him. He'd cried in his room that night, angry at himself for letting the tears fall. If Keith didn't care, why should he?

He also cried later that year, when they announced Keith missing, and him dead.

When he was just barely 19, and Adam died in the first wave of the attacks. His friend, mentor and connection to Keith, gone. His dad was gone too. Died in his house, watching his favorite TV show, according to the drones they sent.

He held Nadia when she cried too. She'd gotten shot out of her ship, nearly falling to her death before James caught her. He'd jumped out of his own ship, just before it crashed into a Galra cruiser. He'd dived and caught her in his arms, turning them so that he took the brunt of the fall, and breaking his arm. He also held Ryan, Ina and Veronica when they cried. Ryan lost his cousins and aunt, Ina her little sister. Veronica lost Lance, and her family went missing. Then she did too. But they got her back.

When he was 20, and saw Keith again for the first time, he wanted to cry right on the spot. But the look in his eyes, that of pure hatred and rage stopped him from rushing forward to hug him. 

Later, when he tried to talk to him, and Keith snapped, repeating the same hurtful words as before, this time saying it was his fault Adam was dead, and that he could go die in a hole for all he cared. That James meant nothing to him, and that they had never been friends. James had ignored him and pulled Keith into a hug, which he fell into. Keith cried in his arms, and said he was sorry, and asked if he would forgive him, which he had immediaely agreed to.

But that night, he had cried in his bed. The tears were that of sadness, relief, and joy. Keith was back, and he was safe. Shiro was too, but he was too late. A big part of why Adam had become a fighter pilot was Shiro, to make him proud and honor his memory.

Again just a few months later. He yelled Keith's name as he ran into the Black lion, pleading for him to answer. But he didn't. James found him lying on the floor, knocked out of his chair and unconcious, in a pool of his own blood. James had run to his side, tears already streaming down his face. He'd said his name, over and over, wanting a response. The medics had rushed in after him, taking Keith away. James stayed in the cockpit for a little while after that, collecting himself. 

And now he cried. He screamed as he fell, weightlessly in the sky. His ship had crashed and he'd jumped out, so high he was almost in space. And he'd begun falling, back to the ground, watching as his friends blew up the last of the enemy and started to regroup. He screamed their names, calling out to them. "RYAN! NADIA! INA! SHIRO!" He yelled in desperation, praying they could hear him. "KEEEITH!" He screamed. Maybe the lion would hear him. But no one came. He felt the tears well in his eyes, and they fell freely, floating in the air above him as he fell. "GUYS, PLEASE!" He pleaded. "HELP ME!" He yelled. "Guys, where's James?" He heard Nadia ask through the comms. He tried to respond, but his were broken. He could only listen as his friend tried to find him. He looked back, and saw the ground getting closer and closer. "KEEEEEEEEITH! SAVE ME!" He cried, beginning to sob. "PLEASE!" But it was no use. They couldn't hear him. Once again, his cries would go unheard. He sobbed, arms reaching for a hand that wasn't there. "He must've gone down with his ship." Pidge said.

James felt his heart break. They thought he was dead. Gone. They weren't going to keep looking. There was no one there to catch him as he fell. He sobbed a few more times before lowering his arms and sniffling. He closed his eyes and let himself fall, the wind taking away the tears that fell from his face.

Once again, James's cries went unheard.

And now they never would again.


	7. Telling Lance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kinkace and Jeith

No one POV

"RYAN, SON OF A BITCH, GIVE ME MY FUCKING PHONE!" James yelled, chasing Ryan through down the hall. He had on casual clothes, black basketball shorts, black Converse, and a white muscle tee. And when he spoke, his British accent was very apparent. "RYAN!" He yelled, chasing him into the lounge. "Nope. Have to take screenshots of our conversations to show you-know-who." Ryan said, waving his phone teasingly. "Then I'm showing that person your texts to me about them." James snapped, pulling Ryan's phone out of his pocket. 

"What are you guys even talking about?" Nadia asked from her spot on the couch with Veronica and Axca. "Their crushes." Veronica answered. "Ahh." Nadia said, nodding. 

"You wouldn't dare." Ryan said. "Oh, I would. I think they would love it, seeing how you describe them. Their "dazzling blue eyes"" James started, reading off the phone while scrolling through it. "Their raven black hair." Ryan started, doing the same. "A smile like the sun itself. Not even the stars rival their beauty." "Eyes that shine like the stars when he smiles. I swear Ryan, he has galaxy eyes." " I saw a light in his eyes today. He was truly happy, and I couldn't believe it. His eyes shone brightly in the lighting. Today they looked like the ocean, a beautiful mixture of hundreds of blues. I couldn't tell if it was beautiful or mystifying. What the bloody hell does that mean anyway? How can you not tell if something is beautiful?" James asked, looking at Ryan. "They're not purple Ryan, you bloody twat. They're violet. A beautiful color, and they change shades in the light." Ryan said, still reading. "Their hair was curly today. It was adorable! Small, fluffy brown curls atop their head." James continued. "He smiled at me today and I almost bloody died. It shines brighter than the sun. I wonder if he'd go out with me." Ryan said, looking at James. "Ryan, do you think Keith would go out with me if I asked? I don't know if someone that beautiful would like me back. Then, later, just last week, Ryan, I think I'm in love with him. I get nervous whenever I'm around him, and I can barely be in the same room as him without looking at him. And he's not only beautiful, he's charming too. Smart, kind, nice and caring. Bloody hell Ryan, I'm in love with him." Ryan finished, and the girls giggled at James's slightly pink face. "You tell them, and I tell Keith you want to ask him out." 

"Ha! Jokes on you, I already did! And he said yes! We've been dating for a month!" James said, smiling while tapping the screen of Ryan's phone. "Then I'm telling him you love him!" Ryan retorted. James just smiled and pressed two more buttons on the phone, causing it to ring. "Hey Ryan. What's up?" Keith's voice asked from the other end. "Actually, it's me darling." James said, smile on his face. "Jamie? Why are you calling from Ryan's phone?" "Well, I have something really important to tell you, and I couldn't wait any longer. Ryan's phone was the closest." "Well what is it?" Keith asked, sounding nervous. "Well, for one, I think you have the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen, and a smile that brightens my world every time I see it. You can turn anything into a moment I want to cherish forever, and I'd do anything to make you happy. I never want to go a day without seeing you smile, and a life without you wouldn't be a life worth living. You mean the world to me." James started, blush growing on his cheek. "Jamie!" Keith said through the phone, obviously flustered. "Keith darling, I love you. With all of my heart. I love you Keith. I love you." James declared, and the girls giggled again. The phone hung up and James smiled. "There. You have nothing over me." He said, looking at Ryan. A "POP!" was heard, and Keith appeared, standing in front of James, wrapping his arms around his neck, who in turn put his hands on his waist. He was in black short shorts, a red shirt, and one of James's hoodies, Kosmo sitting besides them. He smiled and pulled James into a kiss, causing the others to gape at them. They pulled apart and Keith smiled. "I love you too Jamie." They were both pink, but had identical smiles on their faces. They kissed again and the girls squealed while Axca took pictures. "Krolia and Kolivan are going to love this." Keith and James pulled apart and leaned their foreheads against each others, smiling and whispering. Keith nodded and pecked James on the lips before disappearing with Kosmo. 

"That went exceptionally well. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to inform a certain someone about Ryan's crush on them." James said, starting to step away. "James fucking Griffin, if you do that I will kill you." Ryan growled. James smiled and skipped a bit, before beginning to run out. "LANCE! RYAN HAS SOMETHING TO TELL YOU!" He yelled. Ryan chased after him, looking ready to kill. "YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE!" Ryan yelled, going down the hall. "YOU'D DO IT TO ME YOU BLOODY GIT! I'M DOING THIS FOR YOUR OWN GOOD YOU KNOB!" James yelled back, almost all the way down the hall. "WHY DO I HEAR BRITISH CURSING? DID SOMEONE MAKE JAMES MAD AGAIN?" Pidge hollered, sticking her head out of a room. "I'M TELLING HIS CRUSH!" James yelled back, not missing a beat. "WHAT ABOUT KEITH?" She asked. "HE KNOWS! WE'VE BEEN DATING!" "WELL YEAH, I MEANT ABOUT THE WHOLE LOVE THING!" She yelled back. "WE SAID WE LOVE EACH OTHER AND KISSED! I'LL GIVE YOU DETAILS LATER!" James promised, rounding the corner. "LANCE!" "JAMES I'M GOING TO MURDER YOU!" Ryan yelled, gaining on him. "DO THAT AND KEITH WILL KILL YOU!" James yelled back. "YOUR BOYFRIEND CAN'T PROTECT YOU ALL THE TIME! YOU'LL BE ALONE AT SOME POINT!" Ryan replied. There was maybe 20 feet between the two of them now and James was slowing down as they approached another corner. James turned his head to look behind him, and his eyes widened when he saw how close Ryan was. He sprinted around the corner and into a room, slamming the door behind him. Ryan ran past, coming to a stop in the middle of the hall. "Fuck. Where is he?" He muttered. 

Meanwhile, James had been pulled to Keith's bed, and they were making out. "Mmm, did you do it?" James asked, pulling away briefly. "Yes. Now shut up and do me." Keith murmured, pulling him closer. "I love you." James mused, backing away to take their shirts off. "I love you." Keith replied, pulling at James's waistband.

"Have you seen James?" Ryan asked Shiro, standing in the doorway. "No. But I wouldn't bother him. According to Pidge and Axca, him and Keith said I love you today, and the time after that is normally one you want to leave them alone for." Ryan nodded and Shiro shut the door. Ryan sighed and knocked on the next door.   
Lance opened it, and Ryan felt his face flush. "Oh! Uh, hey Lance." He stuttered. "Do I really have azure eyes?" Lance asked, raising an eyebrow. "And a smile like the sun itself?" "W-why do you ask?" "Well, Keith popped in with Kosmo, handed me this" He said, waving James's phone a bit. "-said read it, then left. And there's some very interesting stuff on here." "Oh god. Uh, um, I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." Ryan said, rubbing the back of his neck. Great job Ryan! Let the boy know you think he's gorgeous then stand in front of him, stuttering like an idiot. "Well, uh, would you like-" He started, but Lance cut him off. "Meet me in the hangar by Red at 7 sharp. Wear a nice shirt and decent pants. We're going out." He said with a wink before closing the door. Ryan headed back the way he came, face hot. Before he killed James and Keith, he was going to thank them. Then kill them. Slowly.


	8. Keith confessing at a bad time

Lance POV

Keith, being Keith, was in the hospital. Again. The Galra were attacking, (again), and he'd decided to play hero and block the shot with Black. Now, he would've been fine if it was just that. But Nooooo. He jumped out of the lion and started fighting the sentries, slashing and hacking and pulling some BOM moves. Then, he got shot in the side. They sent Griffin to go get him,, which he did. He came running in carding Keith in his arms, who was wincing in pain. "James, I'm fine." He complained. "Yeah, sure. Lance little help." He asked, turning towards me. I took Keith from his arms, grunting from his weight. "Thanks Griffin." He nodded and walked off, giving Keith a concerned look. Since when had they been friends? "Damn Mullet, you're heavy." "Put me down." He complained. I set him down on the bed, expecting him to behave for once in his life and sit still but again, Noooooo. He shot up and ran out of the room, and put of the hospital. I followed him out, trying to intercept him.

"James! James!" Keith called, going down the stairs after him, pushing through the crowd. I sighed and followed him. He was gonna hurt himself more if he didn't lay down. James didn't hear him and continued going down. Most of the others were already gone, having reached their floors or doors. "James!" Keith called. "JAMES FUCKING GRIFFIN! STOP MOVING AND JUST LISTEN TO ME!" He yelled, stopping on a landing. James turned and saw him, eyes widening. "Keith? What are you doing here? You should be in the hospital." He said, coming to a stop a stair away from him, looking up at Keith, who, for now, was taller. "You can't do this." "Keith, I have too. Those people need protecting. If they hurt you they can hurt them." "But you don't have your team! Ryan's in the hospital, Nadia's ship is broken and Ina's not here." "Keith I'll be fine." James said, starting to turn away. But Keith grabbed his hand to stop him. "I'll go with you." He said softly. "Keith, you can't do that. You're hurt." He said, gently putting a hand on Keith's side. "But you can't do this alone. They might kill you." Keith said. "You of all people should know it takes more than a little hit to get rid of me." James said, a grin working it's way onto his face. "But James..." Keith trails off, cupping the side of his face. "Keith, I'll be fine." James said, eyes meeting Keith's. Keith's eye flickered all over his face before he did the unexpected.

He leaned forward and kissed James, on the lips. James eyes widened momentarily before closing, leaning into it. I pulled my phone out. I had to get pictures. Their lips separated for a moment before going back together again. They pulled away a second time and looked in each others eyes. "Just, come back to me. Okay?" Keith whispered. "Y-yeah. Yeah, I will." James said, smiling at him. He kissed Keith quickly before pulling away from him entirely. "Go get some rest. I'll be there when you wake up." He said, a fond look in his eyes. Keith nodded and watched him go, hugging himself as James descended further down the stairs. 

He came up the stairs towards me. "So, Griffin huh?" I asked, smirk on my face. "Shut up." He mumbled. We started up the stairs and back to the med ward. "Lance, I know you took pictures." Keith said, and my eyes widened. FUCK. "Yeah. I can delete them if you want." I offered. "No! Just-just send them to me." He said, looking at the ground. "Oh ho HO! You DO like Griffin!" "Shut up!" He said, shoving me lightly. But there was a smile on his face. "Thank god! Maybe once you get laid you'll stop being so uptight." I say with a smirk. "Lance!" He whines, punching my arm. AhHh that hurt. "Damn Keith. That hurt." He smiled, then his knees wobbled. "Whoa there partner. Let's get you to the hospital." He nodded and grimaced, wrapping an arm around my shoulder and leaning on me for support. "Yeah, that might be a good idea." 

I hauled his sorry ass all the way back to the hospital, where he promptly fell into some nurse's arms. They took him to a doctor, who felt with his blaster shot, them condemned him to bed rest. "No moving young man. I want you to stay in the room, and sit or lay down calmly until I, in person, and only i, say otherwise. Do you understand?" She said sternly. Obviously she had treated Keith before, andknew about his love of loopholes. "Yes." He grumbled. "Good. She patted his head, then passed me on her way out. "So, why Griffin?" I asked, and he glared at me. "Shut up." "Seriously, why? I thought you hated each other." He scoffed. "Yeah, in 8th grade. Shiro's my brother, and Adamm was his fiance. Adam liked James and they both though we'd get along if we spent time together. He was my roommate my last few years at the Garrison." He said, picking at the sheets absentmindedly. "He was my bestfriend." "And he's not bad looking either." I said. "He's also one of the few Garrison people I trust. And don't ask why I like him. I just do." "Really?" I asked, crossing my arms and leaning on the doorframe. "That's it? No heartwrenching backstory? No bonding experience?" He though for a moment. "We went stargazing with Adma and Shiro once." He admits. "Boom! Bonding moment. And, he cradled you in his arms. Which you'll both remember! " Keith frowned and thew a pillow at me. I laughed and ducked, and it hit someone behind me. 

"Damn Keith. I thought you'd be happy to see me." James said, throwing the pillow back at him. He caught it and smiled. "Sorry, I was trying to hit Lance." "This is why I'm the sharpshooter." I say. Keith rolls his eyes and James goes to sit next to him on the bed. "So how you doing?" He asks. "Doctor got mad at me for running after you." "Probably shouldn't have done that. Who'd you get?" "LaRue." Keith says. "Clarisse? You know she's super lenient, right? She's one of those "don't see, don't tell" types. Watch out for Valdez though. He'll rat you out for a candy bar." Keith raises an eyebrow. "You seem to know a lot about breaking rules." James shrugged. "Been in here a few times." At that moment, a nurse came in and slapped the back of his head. "Dumbass! What have I told you about blaster shots?" He asked, pulling of James's suit top. "But Will, it only grazed me." He complained. "You're just as bad as your boyfriend here. When you get shot, you tell someone and get medical treatment. It's going to scar if you don't." He said, bandaging James's bicep. "Breaking rules for little old me?" Keith asked propping his chin on his hand. "Only for you." James said with a smile. I had to suppress a gag. They were being insufferably cute. "There you go. Griffin, rest a bit. Your boyfriend here is gonna be here for a while, so you may as well keep him company." Will said as he left the room. I followed him out, taking one last look at Keith and James.

They were so mismatched.   
James with his smooth and relatively calm brown hair, Keith with his crazy black locks.  
Sun kissed skin and pale.  
Paladin leg armor and bodysuit, top half missing. Garrison combat uniform, with a white tank top. Bandages around the waist and the arm.   
They were so different, yet so alike.   
Both leaders. Both highest in their class. Both apparently gay. Purple eyes. Identical smiles on their faces as they laughed.   
They looked weird together, but in a good way. The weird that only comes when you're with someone you trust completely. For the fist time in a while, Keith was smiling and laughing with someone besides a paladin or Altean. This would be good for him. I smiled to myself as I left the hospital, eager to tell the others the news.

Our Black paladin had a boyfriend.


End file.
